At the Longines FEI Jumping European Championship 2021, Riesenbeck International’s Managing Director Karsten Lütteken walked the journalists around the newly built stables on the showgrounds. A total of 312 boxes in six buildings, with each stall measuring 3.50 by 3.50 meters have been built. Each box has a large exterior window so that the horses can see out and the air can circulate inside the buildings. The partition walls are almost three meters high, so even stallions are safely housed. The walls have a wood look, but were actually made of plastic. "This is easier to clean and disinfect again after the tournaments," explains Lütteken. The boxes can be opened and closed via sliding doors. Little brackets have been installed above the doors with hooks attached to hang all utensils neatly. Each stable aisle has its own washing facilities. You can see: Here, horse people have planned and built for horse people. "These are the best stables in the world," a groom calls out to Lütteken as he leads a horse past. Yes, it is very satisfying to hear that, Lütteken admits. Especially in view of the fact that construction of the entire facility could not begin until March.

 

Before work could begin, the stream that actually flows past the site had to be diverted. Otherwise, there would have been no building permit because the area had been used as alluvial land. It was the perfect place for the visions of the Riesenbeck International managers around Ludger Beerbaum and Karsten Lütteken to build a top-class tournament sports facility here, where not only the riding arenas have five-star level, but also the accommodation for the four-legged athletes.

 

"The stream has to be diverted." Lütteken explains. "At first we thought it was a joke." But the suggestion was completely serious. The most sensible thing to do was to combine the detour with renaturation. So now, about 300 meters from the new stables, the stream course has a new bed in which it can meander as it likes. The old stream is now a kind of pond into which the rainwater is drained, which in turn is used to irrigate the pitches. A win-win situation for all sides. The new five-star stables will not remain deserted following the European Championships. Ten to twelve tournaments a year are to be held in Riesenbeck, not all at this level and not all in the large grass arena that is now the focus of the Europeasns. For smaller tournaments, two sand arenas and another grass arena are available in addition to the large event hall, which is also used for dressage and driving competitions. Driving competitions have a long tradition in Riesenbeck and this should be maintained at all costs, emphasize both Ludger Beerbaum and Karsten Lütteken.

 

In addition to the already established jumping competitions, dressage events are also to be held soon - since the merger with Helgstrand Dressage to form the Global Equestrian Group, this is obvious. And the application for the 2023 European Dressage Championships is already in the drawer at the FEI, Ludger Beerbaum reports.